It’s July 1 and that means the start of the new athletic year. And, of course, the next wave of realignment takes hold.
The national news talks of the new and old Big East, the American Athletic Conference, C-USA, the Southland and more.
Here at home, we look at the updated rosters in the Sooner Athletic and Heartland Conferences.
Rogers State and Lubbock Christian are moving from one to the other. Long-time SAC members, RSU and LCU have completed the first year of the transition process to Division II and are finding a new home in the Heartland Conference.
Oklahoma Christian bolted the SAC in 2012 and played a Heartland Conference schedule. OC held dual membership in the NCCAA this season.
The SAC roster is reduced momentarily to seven. But four new members will more than fill the gap, as the number of schools in the Sooner Athletic Conference grows to 11 today.
Southwestern Christian University is the only Oklahoma to join the SAC ranks. The Eagles come over from the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Northwood (Cedar Hill), Texas Wesleyan (Fort Worth) and Southwestern Assemblies of God (Waxahachie) all move in from the Red River Athletic Conference.